Those watching Monday night’s Beanpot finale between Northeastern and Boston College witnessed something special. The game featured a team that hasn’t won the tournament in 23 years and a team which has now won three of the last four; a team with a losing record, and the No. 1-ranked team in the nation. There were five lead changes, 19 penalties, and 13 goals – the third-highest total in the tournament’s 59 years of existence, which is of particular interest since the game featured two of the top-ranked goalies and defenses in the NCAA.
Northeastern got a few drops of what its first Beanpot championship in 23 years might have tasted like during the tournament finale against No. 1 Boston College Monday night.
But the top-ranked Eagles seemed to immediately counter each goal the Huskies scored, as BC outlasted Northeastern in a wild affair at TD Garden, 7-6, in overtime.
After a decisive 4-0 victory over Harvard in Monday night’s Beanpot opener at TD Garden, the Huskies will return to the title game, looking to build on its tournament-worst four championships – BU leads with 29, Boston College has 15, Harvard has 10.
For the second time in three years, the men’s hockey team is playing in the Beanpot championship game. Ask anyone who follows the team how they’re feeling and they will tell you they’re “cautiously optimistic.” It’s hard for fans to get too excited about the game. After all, we haven’t won the tournament since before most of the current undergrads were born.
The Beanpot has been a sour subject for Northeastern fans, students, and alumni for the past 23 years. While NU’s rival, Boston University, has bathed in Beanpot success over three decades, reaching the tournament championship game in 26 of the past 28 seasons, the Huskies have been left splashing around in the kiddie pool.
Each year, for two weeks in February, the eyes of the college hockey world focus squarely on Boston and the Beanpot. The tournament — one of the great traditions in college sports — is perhaps the best showcase of college hockey talent outside of the Frozen Four.
Northeastern’s Beanpot ticket sale has always been one of the athletic events I look forward to most each year. It’s always great to see hockey fan base mobilized for something other than a game. Even though it’s just preparation, there’s always excitement around the team and the tournament
Sophomore forward Steve Quailer looked like his old self, at least for a moment, during Wednesday night’s Beanpot tune-up against Harvard at Matthews Arena.
Sometimes, I really hate January.
The weather is disgusting, there's no baseball, the NBA and NHL are mired in regular season dullness (though you wouldn't have known it with some exciting wins for the B's and C's over the long weekend), and the Super Bowl is still weeks away. Luckily, on the college sports side of things, January is usually when hockey season picks up the pace and the basketball conference schedule ramps up.
